1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the use of certain N,N-dialkylthiocarbamoyl sulfenamides as bacteriostats and germicides and more particularly to their use as active ingredients in detergent compositions used for skin cleansing. The detergent compositions find advantageous applicability in cosmetic and toilet preparations including shaving creams, cosmetic cleansing creams, hair treatment preparations and the like as well as in medicinal and germicidal bar and liquid soaps and shampoos.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of compounds such as N,N-dialkylthiocarbamoyl mono- and dicycloalkylsulfenamides and N,N-dialkylthiocarbamoyl mono- and diarylsulfenamides as fungicides is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,432,255. U.S. Pat. No. 2,692,862 states that disinfectant soaps and synthetic detergents of anit-bacterial activity and skin retentivity may be obtained by incorporating into cleansing compositions alkyl derivatives of thiocarbamoyl sulfenamides of the formula: ##EQU2## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are the same or different alkyl radicals having not more than 2 C-atmos each, while N=Z is a radical of the group obtained by removing 1 N-attached H-atom from ammonia, a primary or secondary alkyl amine, morpholine and piperidine, the alkyl radicals in the alkyl amine containing not more than 4 C-atoms each.
Thiosulfenyl dithiocarbamates as fungicides are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,598,989 wherein the patentee also states that even a slight variation in the basic structure or composition of the functional group will often, if not actually always, destroy the fungicidal efficacy of the particular compounds. Variation in or substitution of so-called non-functional or inactive groups or substituents may change the degree of efficacy, making the compound more or less valuable as a fungicidal substance.
Thus, the prior art thiocarbamoyl sulfenamides disclosed as bactericides and fungicides may be considered as being specific and unsuggestive of other combination of substituents providing unpredictable properties, especially in different applications.